1. Field of the Invention
The invention, in general, relates to a fuel neck valve control and, more particularly, to an apparatus for controlling the sliding movement of a valve control member at the upper end of a filling neck of a fuel tank. During refuelling operations, such valves are actuated by the pivoting movement of a closure lid provided in the fuel neck in response to the insertion of a fuel nozzle, to control the flow of fuel vapors and to prevent accidental overflows of fuel.
2. Background of the Invention
For converting the pivotal movement of the closure lid provided in fuel necks for the purpose of restricting them to the insertion of the typically smaller diameter fuel nozzles used for unleaded fuel, into the sliding movement necessary to actuate the control member of such a valve, toothed rack drives have hitherto been known. Under heavy use and rough handling, such drives are, however, subject to jamming. Moreover, they are relatively bulky or voluminous and prove problematic in the restricted confines of a fuel neck. However, the valve control member cannot be directly actuated by the pivoting lid as any sliding movement of the control member over the surface of the lid would result in transverse forces which, in turn, may lead to jamming or blocking of the valve.